NASHVILLE – Titans General Manager Jon Robinson spoke to reporters on Wednesday morning during what's already been a busy week.
On Monday, the Titans traded for former Chargers defensive back Desmond King.
On Tuesday, the team parted ways with cornerback Johnathan Joseph and long snapper Beau Brinkley.
On Wednesday, the Titans will release linebacker Vic Beasley after the team announced its plans to do so on Tuesday.
The most popular subject on today's video conference call centered on Beasley, the former Falcon who signed a one-year deal with the Titans.
"Not every decision that we make works out," Robison said of Beasley. "We spent a lot of time working with him, trying to get him going. And at the end of the day we felt it was best for us to go in a different direction and release him from the football team."
Beasley played in five games for the Titans this season. In those five games he was credited with three tackles and a forced fumble.
"It's frustrating for me that it didn't work out," Robinson said. "At the end of the day that is on me that it didn't work out. But we made the decision that we made, and we're moving on. … At the end of the day the blame falls on me. I have to do a better job there with the whole process."
Here's a look at what Robison said on other topics:
The Addition of Desmond King
The Tennessee Titans added the former All-Pro cornerback in exchange for a sixth-round selection in 2021.
"He has been mostly a slot corner with the Chargers," Robinson said of King. "A productive player at Iowa – I think he had double-digit interceptions and PBUs (pass breakups). … He's an aggressive guy, a good tackler, good blitzer, instinctive in coverage, good feel for route combos, for finding the spots in zones where he needs to fit and be productive there. I'm glad it worked out for us and we're excited to get to work with him when we go through these protocols."
King (5-10, 201) earned AP All-Pro honors at cornerback and second-team All-Pro as a punt returner in 2018 for the Chargers. In his four seasons as a pro, King has tallied 213 tackles, four interceptions, two forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and 7.5 sacks in 53 games played (23 starts) for the Chargers. During his All-Pro season (2018), he totaled 60 tackles, three interceptions, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and an 13.8-yard average as a punt returner.
Robinson said King is in zoom meetings and in the testing protocols while also saying he could be with the team by Saturday.
The Departure of Johnathan Joseph
The Titans parted ways with Joseph after he played in all seven games for the Titans in 2020 after playing previously with the Texans (2010-2019) and Bengals (2006-2010).
"With J-Joe, I have a ton of respect for him and what he has done in this league," Robinson said. "He has been a premium player, has played a long time. He can hang his hat on that – he has a lot to be proud of.
"But at the end of the day we wanted to take a look at some younger guys and move forward there and that's what led to that decision."
Parting Ways with Beau Brinkley
Brinkley, the team's long snapper since the 2012 season, played in 135 games over the past nine seasons, including all seven games this season. He's been a dependable pro over the years, snapping to punter Brett Kern on punts, and to kickers Rob Bironas, Ryan Succop and Stephen Gostkowski, among others, on kicks.
But Brinkley fell into a mini-slump of late, which concerned Robinson. Brinkley made a low snap on a punt against the Steelers, and he skipped a snap on an extra point attempt against the Bengals on Sunday.
"I love Beau Brinkley – he's a pro's pro, and he is a hard worker, a great teammate. I have nothing but the utmost respect for Beau and how he handles is craft," Robinson said. "Something was just a little off with the accuracy and the consistency there. … It was something that he had gotten sideways on a bit, and we didn't see him fixing it. We felt like we need to make a move there. We wish him nothing but the best but we're moving forward."
The Titans added long snapper Matt Overton to the practice squad on October 12.
Overton joined the Titans with 100 games of NFL experience with the Colts (2012-16) and Jaguars (2017-19). Following the 2013 season he was selected as the long snapper for the AFC's Pro Bowl team.
Other tidbits from the GM:
--On first-round pick Isaiah Wilson: "We'll keep working with him. We're certainly disappointed in the off-the-field issues. He and I have talked about that, and that is not something we really tolerate here. But him coming off of the COVID list, this will essentially be his third week of practice … and I would say last week was better than the week before and I am excited to see what he's going to do this week."
--Robinson said he feels like OLB Jadeveon Clowney is playing hard despite not having a sack: "I think that J.D. has given us some really good snaps. He has made some disruptive plays in every game he has been in. We move him around – Coach (Mike) Vrabel does a good job of trying to put himself in position to be successful and get back there and there has been plays he's disrupted."
--Robinson said the team will continues to evaluate their OLBs on the practice squad (Wyatt Ray and Tuzar Skipper) when asked about depth at the position behind Clowney, Harold Landry and Derick Roberson.
--Robinson said the Titans continue to evaluate cornerback Adoree' Jackson, who remains on the "Designated for Return' list while on Injured Reserve: "I'm always hopeful that our players that have helped us and will help us can get back out there and practice. We'll see how he looks today and make a determination after practice and then see how he feels tomorrow and just take it a day at a time like we do with all the guys coming off of IR."
--Robinson said he remains confident in kicker Stephen Gostkowski: "We have confidence in Steve, he's a pro, he handles pressure. And I'm sure he puts more confidence in himself than we do. We have confidence in him to go out there and put a foot on a ball and put it through."
